Have we reached the bottom?
In recent weeks, this question has become a more relevant and much more popular one being posed by government officials, economists and news outlets across the country.

While March’s report marked the 5th consecutive quarter of job losses, it is true that we continue to see broad job losses affecting a wide range of sectors and skill sets. While this news is discouraging it’s important to keep in mind that the job market is a lagging indicator of what’s happening in the broader economic environment and we likely will see continued job losses even while the economy begins to stabilize and turn around. Also of note, this month’s total job losses were better than the 700,000+ recorded in January, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak jobs picture.

Beyond the jobs picture, there are a good number of positive economic indicators out there right now – consumer spending rose marginally in February, recent reports show the housing market is reaching its bottom, and the ISM index indicated that manufacturing orders were up in March.  These are all signs that the economy may have reached its bottom and we may be nearing a more stable time period.  And ultimately, economic stability yields job market stability, so these are signs that we may be, or at least are close to, turning the corner.